HomeOrganisationAbout UTDiversity, Equity and Inclusion
Rikkert Harink

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) at UT

The University of Twente has been and is still building towards a richer and more inclusive community. We all strive to offer equal and fair opportunities. We jointly support each other in learning, failing, succeeding and flourishing. These bold ambitions are laid out in our current organisational strategy, Shaping2030.

Fostering inclusion, raising awareness and breaking down barriers

Raising awareness, identifying and breaking down barriers. Adjusting policies, guidelines, and practices to ensure that, in every corner of our organisation, we are all consciously aware - and consider as a matter of course - that we all are unique individuals. Individuals that have the fundamental right to be treated equitably and respectfully.This is the overarching goal we strive for together. Building and maintaining a community and an organisation that considers diversity, equity, and inclusion as standard core values is a bumpy and challenging journey that requires ongoing effort, responsibility, creativity, and courage from everyone. It is our firm conviction that harnessing the potential of diversity brings better education, better research, more personalised services and bigger societal impact. And that - to be able to fully benefit from the diverse backgrounds, perspectives, talents and experiences of our community - we must strive to be a more inclusive university. We aim to cherish and support each other to enable all of us to get a strong shared sense of belonging at our university.  

Contact the DE&I Team of ut

To promote diversity, enhance equity and boost inclusion, much is done and will be done. To properly coordinate, justify and connect these efforts, a dedicated Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Team is in place. This team is committed to working together with individuals, teams and professional networks to improve and support a diverse, open, vibrant and socially safe academic community in the years to come. 

UT's DE&I Team is your first point of contact if you have a question or idea, or if you would like to collaborate with UT on DE&I matters. Reach out to one of them or just send the DE&I Team a message

Follow us on social media

Are you looking for the latest news? Then follow UT's DE&I Team on Instagram and LinkedIn!

committed networks and teams

Below you can find an overview of committed networks and teams that assist in tackling issues, finding solutions, and fostering the shared responsibility of making diversity, equity, and inclusion standard core values for everyone in our organisation and on campus. Have a look and discover how they all focus on different aspects of progressing diversity, equity and inlusion.

Action plans, information and initiatives

On UT's Service Portal we have brought together a comprehensive collection of news, information, documents and events about (or related to) DE&I. This Service Portal is meant for staff and students in particular, but also provides insights to anyone interested in how UT jointly work towards integrating the core values of equity and inclusion into the way we interact, conduct research, and deliver education. 

Below, we have listed some important documents. We described our efforts to bridge gender inequality in the academia in a dedicated Gender Equality Plan (GEP) at the end of 2021. At the same time, we also incorporated these actions into our current DE&I Action Plan. In the coming years, we will continuously review the actions we take and the measures we implement to proactively reduce gender differences and adjust them as needed. These updated measures will then be included in the next DE&I Action Plans rather than in a separate Gender Equality Plan (GEP). This integrated approach aligns with our strategy, which aims to approach diversity, equity - including gender equality - and inclusion as core standard values at UT.